Recent advances in the area of stem cell research suggest that redirected differentiation of stem cells may prove useful for the treatment of a variety of diseases including diabetes and other systemic diseases. In the hematopoietic system, recent studies have also demonstrated the ability of adult erythroid stem cells to undergo differentiation toward a fetal-like phenotype. This fetal-like phenotype is crucial in eliminating the clinical sequelae of sickle syndromes and beta hemoglobinopathies. However, additional studies are needed to determine if these results can be applied to patients with diseases involving hematopoietic stem cells or other blood cells. In addition, it is clear that the stem cells from separate donors do not possess identical properties of growth and differentiation.